If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Re: Swarm trap size

Zier,

If your in a position to check your trap often I would not put plastic foundation in. Just leave it empty. You want it to look roomy inside. If you can only check it every two weeks or so, I would put in foundationless wood frames with wax coated starter strips. The rest of your questions are correct. LGO with the baggie is the way to go.

Re: Swarm trap size

Originally Posted by Charlie B

Zier,

If your in a position to check your trap often I would not put plastic foundation in. Just leave it empty. You want it to look roomy inside. If you can only check it every two weeks or so, I would put in foundationless wood frames with wax coated starter strips. The rest of your questions are correct. LGO with the baggie is the way to go.

I have no trouble with a box full of drawn combs that does not "look roomy". "Foundationless wood frames with wax coated starter strips" get easily cross combed. Use REAL wax foundation in this case. Why waste a good baggie? A few drops on a comb and wood is good to go for months.

Re: Swarm trap size

Charlie, what is the address of your site in Saratoga? Just the intersection name is fine. I want to check how far it is from my friends house. He has caught two swarms there for me. If you give your mother some pots and pans to bang together, that makes the swarm land.

Re: Swarm trap size

Alright I will put in frames and Maybe 2 with wax in the middle...I'll most likely be able to check 1 time a week for sure I always have a Weekend free. Only 1 time this summer will i be gone for 2 weeks...and if i did get a swarm then...well i will have to keep my fingers crossed they dont do anything stupid lol

Re: Swarm trap size

I put out one nuk and one deep last week side by side, each with a frame of black comb and foundationless frames, lgo. There are bees constantly checking it, going in and out, for propolis and pollen from those frames I suspect. These are in my back yard. My apiary is 12 miles away. I will put out more bait boxes later next month, there and at my son's house where a swarm moved into the wall of his garage last spring--which only by a stroke of luck did I get it to come out using smoke and banging on the wall, it swarmed to a tree and I got it from there.

I also picked up some used cheap ladders last weekend so I can get boxes higher up to the branches of the trees. It's been pretty warm here is SW Fla so I want to start early. I like getting my bees this way, it's fun.

No one has mentioned using shallow boxes. I have quite a few empty shallows I'd like to try. I use entrance reducer with smallest opening. These I will put on ladder scaffolding. They prefer deeper boxes? Am I wasting my time with shallows?

Re: Swarm trap size

I've always used 8 frame mediums and deeps. A 10 frame shallow is similar size to an 8 frame medium so I think that would work. This year I'm going to use anything I have, 10 frame deeps to 8 frame mediums and see what happens.

Re: Swarm trap size

I think the next big project is going to be frames...I have a plan in mind on how to make frames quicker than i did last year(lots of machining) and make about 100 for the first test run. I ordered some also but that is expensive when filling out 12 Mediums and i will need 5 frames per nuc which i now have 8 and 2 other larger ones and i have another 9 deeps......And then all the plastic foundation on top of that!!! :S

Re: Swarm trap size

I just made seven 10 frame deep swarm traps. I will make two of them into trap out boxes and set the other 5 out in different places near the creek in the city. Oh ya, I will also be making another 7 swarm traps next weekend, yup..................settin' out a trout line!! "fishin season" is near, cant wait!!

Oh ya, I am going to experiment a little as well. Gonna place one trap with a full 10 frames of regular Rite Cell foundation with extra wax rolled on. Also going to do a trap with alternating foundation/foundationless frames, and then the rest of the traps with foundationless frames with starter strips. I love running experiments!!

Re: Swarm trap size

I have two swarm traps which I set out last year in a wooded area. No luck even though I saw bees on the flowers. I used lemon grass oil I got from our local Bath and Body store. I plan to make another five traps within the month. I started feeding bees that had been rifling my recycle and set out the two swarm traps in case they abscond. They have been checking out the swarm traps. I know of some bees 3 miles to the south of me but the bees that are feeding from my feeders are flying in from the north. I know of no one in my community who raises bees in that direction so there may be a feral hive/hives to the north of me. Hoping to get all my boxes filled this year. Placed a deposit for three packages this year from Shamrock. I'll post if I get lucky.

Re: Swarm trap size

odfrank: I have not had much problem with cross combing in my traps. I use screws on the frame rests to jod the frames tight together. Where I run into cross combing is when I place them in the hive. That is for another thread. I have good video on YouTube of good comb in traps.

Re: Swarm trap size

Originally Posted by Charlie B

I've always used 8 frame mediums and deeps. A 10 frame shallow is similar size to an 8 frame medium so I think that would work. This year I'm going to use anything I have, 10 frame deeps to 8 frame mediums and see what happens.

I am confused. I thought you are the swarm donor, and frank the catcher. Does it matter if you are donating out of deeps or mediums? Most of us don't care what your swarms are coming out of charlie, we are interested in how frank catches them...

Re: Swarm trap size

Originally Posted by grozzie2

I am confused. I thought you are the swarm donor, and frank the catcher. Does it matter if you are donating out of deeps or mediums? Most of us don't care what your swarms are coming out of charlie, we are interested in how frank catches them...

It does matter. The bigger the frames and brood chamber the bigger the swarm. My method is no secret - old brood comb and a few drops of lemongrass oil, and having tricked Charlie into showing me his apiary site. I might be old and cheap, but I am crafty also.